Friday, 30 September 2016

Another massive dip in hobby productivity after the big blow-out that is Bring Out Your Lead comes to a close as hobby mojo returns. In truth, I've actually done loads of cool gaming but I just haven't had the time to properly document any of it.

My favourite highlight was when I GM'd the entire Blood Bath at Orc's Drift campaign in a single day. I rejigged it to run with the Warhammer Skirmish rules from the appendices of the 6th ed rules book and cut the number of basic troops in half. The actual run time was only about three or four hours because I set up the first three games to run simultaneously in about three square feet of space each. It was a real success and we all had loads of fun, but if you don't believe me check out this post from one of my players.

The last thing I blogged about in the run-up to BOYL was the Tale of Four Oldhammerers painting challenge. I had already won some bragging rights by hitting the painting deadlines every time and scoring the most challenge points but that would count for nothing in the finale. I allied my Undead with James Taylor's Nurgle army and we fought the combined might of Steve's Slann and Chico's Hobgoblins. The game itself wasn't the best (although we had a few laughs along the way) but I always judge the success of a game by how much it is enjoyed by ALL participants. As is usually the way with games that lack a GM it turned into a one-sided affair quite quickly and James and I trounced the opposition thoroughly. It was a shame, because in our haste we never stopped to organise a GM or even a proper narrative. Steve and Chico will no doubt want to forget the game and the triumph seems hollow under those circumstances. Proof even Oldhammerers can forget their core values from time to time! At least I have a painted Undead army though!

The big game, just about to kick off.

Say what you like about the gameplay, the armies looked great. This is Chico's force on the far side of my stone circle terrain piece.

James' beautifully painted Nurgle army. I am sure Steve would say it was a privilege to have his army blasted to smithereens by the sorcerous powers of those gorgeously hand-painted magic banners.

I also ran a small 'pathetic aesthetic' themed game at BOYL 16, using the stone circle as the focus.

A group of deserters fleeing the calamity at Hel Fenn stumble across a midnight ritual to reawaken an ancient von Carstein vampire from it's tomb.

What next? I have to do a final round of whip-cracking and organising for the Night of the Living Lead 5 which is coming up in a month at the Foundry, but mainly I have been working on the new To4O-inspired painting challenge. Mordheim: City of the Lead involves James, Chico, Steve and I painting one Mordheim mini a month and playing out a (GM'd and story-based) game of Mordheim at BOYL 17 next July. We are taking a relaxed approach (no points or anything) and just concentrating on painting up some fun minis. I have decided to paint up the unreleased ex-Citadel wizards set Foundry cast up for us plus a couple of freebies dished out at BOYL.

Month One. I'm not using them as magic users, they are merely researcher types naively exploring the Mordheim ruins. This will just count as a man with a club in the game.

Month Two. Man with hammer. Many thanks to Curtis Fell of Ramshackle Games for handing out this guy, I have appeased the Gods for a time by painting a free mini as swiftly as possible. Curtis' kindnesses and selfless contributions to the Oldhammer Comuunity are too numerous to recount but do not go unnoticed.

I have a background narrative written for them, I will do a post about it one month once once I have suitable pun names planned out.

I am a born-again responsible gamer. My conquest of the Etherweb will be slow, but inevitable.

Mission Statement.

This Blog will be used to revolutionise wargaming, succeeding where others have failed. Oh yes it will! I will teach you all the error of your ways and subvert you to my cause. I am on a crusade to bring back the GamesMaster to all tabletop battles. On the way, I will track my wargaming progress project by project and as a whole, bringing projects to completion and moving on to new challenges. I have moved away from the hollow, charmless gaming that has become a kind of standard thanks to our own complacency and develop a gaming style that encompasses the gaming and role-play values of the 80s and early 90s (my youth) whilst going beyond what that era achieved into exhilarating new realms of fun. I will therefore use the Blog to record my battle and keep on the right course with my overall philosophy in the same way as I fortify my discipline with individual projects. I will use the blogging platform to challenge my painting, modelling and photography skills, though I will not allow the pursuit of high standards to interfere with the deadlines I set myself so expect a mixture of different quality paint jobs, photos et cetera. The aspiration to perfection is always a long term goal, so get stuff done in the mean time. The blog will come in handy for insurance purposes, tremble in fear claims negotiators. I promise not to use the Blog as a vacuous diary, sharing a life which though personally gratifying is possibly outwardly dull. Though I am pretty neat. I will utilise gentle humour often, as is my way, without descending into constant joke-telling. I will not shy away from subtle adult humour and occasional vulgarity (this will not include serious swear words however) though only rarely and in always in context. This is because I like my wargaming to have a moral awareness of it’s real life counterpart (war) in amongst all the fun times. I will not post whilst drunk. I will never review movies, books or anything else for that matter though I may recommend stuff for gaming inspiration purposes and talk about a fun time I had doing something that linked to my gaming activities. I will strive to avoid discussing the world in absolute terms, accepting rather that reality is in the eye of the beholder and that maturity acknowledges variety. I want the hobby to be inclusive and will avoid misogynistic blogger staples such as using pictures of ladies breasts to liven up mediocre posts. I will ask you now once, for the first and last time, to comment and follow if you feel able as these signs of recognition are greatly appreciated. I will never again seek any acclamation for what I’m doing. As a final point, I will make it clear that I thinkGamers, us, ourselves, are responsible for the state of wargaming, NOT Games Workshop, Wizards of the Coast et cetera who despite being in the grasp of vile corporate vampires actually carry out, diligently and with dignity, a worthy and thankless task. If anything goes downhill people are far too quick to blame the governing body, when they should be taking personal responsibility first and foremost. Wargamers of the world, the time for excuses is past, it is time to have incredible fun!